The challenges of integrating wind and other energy facilities into space will only be overcome through a community approach
What: The challenges of integrating wind and other energy facilities into space will only be overcome through a community approach
Where: Maribor, Slovenija
When: 30th January 2024
The event about the challenges of placing wind and other energy objects in space, organized by the local energy agency Energap in Maribor last week for representatives of Drava municipalities, highlighted the key guidelines for projects in the field of renewable energy use. Planning for them in the future should be community-oriented, following the model of energy communities with the involvement of local communities in such development. Energap’s director, Dr. Vlasta Krmelj, vividly expressed: “Only well-directed sails can harness every wind.”
In his opening speech, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Maribor, Dr. Samo Peter Medved, talked about the opportunities and challenges that energy presents for the municipality of Maribor. He emphasized the significance of energy communities and the broader narrative of renewable sources, including energy independence. This was also underscored at the outset by the State Secretary from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate, and Energy (MOPE), Mag. Tina Seršen.
Continuing, the head of our laboratory (Laboratory for Energy Strategies at the Ljubljana Faculty of Electrical Engineering) in the discussion on the (under)utilized potentials of wind and other renewable energy in community projects in Slovenia highlighted by Dr. Tomi Medved, emphasized that the strategy of establishing energy communities absolutely includes a sociological element with active communication, far beyond just economic aspects. Other speakers, such as Dr. Tomislav Tkalec (Sector for RES, Directorate for Energy, MOPE), Urška Kalan (Borzen), Alenka Kržan (Eko Fund), Katja Huš (Focus Society for Sustainable Development), and Lena Penšek (Greenpeace Slovenia), also focused on the opportunities for harnessing the potentials of wind and other renewable energy in community projects in Slovenia.
For many, an interesting approach was presented by Mag. Miran Možina, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and the founder and director of the Ljubljana branch of the Sigmund Freud University from Vienna. He discussed the current topic of how, in an era of fear and increasing threats, strengthening trust and dialogue with people is crucial for establishing trust.
This was followed by an open and lively dynamic discussion led by the director of the local energy agency for the Drava region, Energap, Dr. Vlasta Krmelj. Participants, including representatives of municipalities from the Drava region in various roles (mayor, investor, and citizen), anonymously expressed their desires regarding renewable energy projects in their environment.
